Knife-sharpener



(No Model.)

J. OEPINGER. KNIFE. SHARPENER.

No. 542,372. Patented July 9, 1895.

NITED STATES "ATENT OFFICE.

JACOB OEFINGER, OF MERIDEN, CONNECTICUT.

KNlFE-SHARPENER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 542,372, dated July 9,1895 Application filed October 4, 1894:. Serial No. 524,878. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Beit known that I, J ACOB OEFINGER,a citizen of the United States, and aresident of Meriden, county of New Haven, and State of Connecticut, haveinvented a certain new and useful Improvement in Knife-Sharpeners, ofwhich the following is aspecification, refer- "ence being had to theaccompanying drawpreventing the same from becoming overheated. V v

The invention consists in the novel con-' struction and arrangement ofparts hereinafter fully described.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of a machineembodying my in-' vention. Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the same. Fig.3 is a vertical cross-section of the same taken upon the line a: at,Fig. 1.

In the practice of my invention I construct a rectangular frame Asupported on legs A, at the center of which frame is a laterallyslidingplate B, dovetailed therein and having upwardly-projecting bearings a a,in which is j ournaled a shaft 1), having mounted thereon thedriving-wheel c, and in front of the bearing a the emery-wheel orsimilar device C. At the rear of the frameisa flanged, in which ismounted an adjusting-screw e, having a disk or head 6, by which it isturned, the point of the said screw being insertedin the side of thebearing a, whereby when the same is turned the bearing, the shaft, andthe emery-wheel are forced forwardly.

Immediately in front of the frame A is a second frame A mounted on legsA and having dovetailed therein a longitudinallysliding block D, which,in common with they frame A is centrally open to form an airspace A.Upon the block D is secured a longitudinal strip D ofheat-non-conducting material, preferably wood, having lateral recesses fformed in the entire surface thereof, the said recesses being of.sufficient width to receive the usual form of kitchen or dining knivesand being tapered downwardly toward one end of the machine, all in likedirection, as best shown in Fig. 2, whereby only the edges of the kniveswill be presented to the emery-wheel C. In the bottom of these recessesare formed perforations f Pivoted to a lug g, upon one end of the blockD, is a metallic or other bar E, cylindrical in contour, to bear uponthe knives immediately between the handles and the guards thereof, atwhich point,-in all knife= blanks of this character, is formed a concavegroove, the inclination of which the bar E takes. This bar extendsbeyond the opposite end of the table and rests beneath a hook g upon theblock D.

In the upper surface of theforward portion of the block D, immediatelyabove which the handles of the knives rest, are formed openings h, inalignment with the edges of the recesses f at either side of the saidhandles, and in these openings, when the knives are in position, Iinsert pins h. These pins might, where desired, be permanently securedin the block, but, by being made removable, larger or smaller pins maybe employed, according to the width of the handles, and furthermore, inthe form'shown the knives are held more firmly in position.

. Upon the under surface of the block D, at the front thereof, areformedteeth '5, with which engages a pinion F, meshing with a gear G, mountedupon the axle of a driving wheel G, whereby, when power is imparted tothe said wheel G, the block D is caused to slide or reciprocate.

- Above the machine is secured a tank or reservoir I-I, having a cook orspigot H, from which depends a flexible tube 1, having a perforatedmoistening pipe section or jet 1 secured thereon, and in order that theunder surface of the knives and of the machine may be maintained freefrom the heat necessarily generated by the grinding, I may also locateair-pipes j beneath the block D, through which pipes an air-blast may beforced.

- The operation of the device will be readily ICO understood from theforegoing description, taken in connection with the accompanyingdrawings.

The blades of the knives having been inserted in the recesses f untilthe strip D is wholly covered thereby, or until the supply of ungroundknives is exhausted, the bar E is then brought down upon the said knivesbetween the handles and the guards thereof, as hereinbefore described,and the said bar inserted beneath the hook g, whereby the said knivesare held rigidly in position. Between each of the handles are theninserted the pins h, which prevent any lateral move ment thereof. Motionis then imparted to the emery-wheel G, which, revolving at high speed,grinds down the edges of the knives immediately in front thereof, and asthe said wheel revolves the screw e is turned, thereby forcing the saidwheel forwardly, and this adjusting, which may be efiected either byhand or by any other mechanical means, is continued until the whole edgeof each of the blades before it has been sharpened, when motion isimparted to the drivingwheel G and the block D is reciprocated therebyto bring each of the knives beneath the wheel, which may be firstscrewed back to its first position or may be'gradnally drawn back duringthe next operation, to save time. If desired, the movement of the blockmay continue during the revolution of the emery-wheel, which would causethe same to take, in effect, a diagonal course across the blades.

By reason of the peculiar form and arrangement of the knifecarrier orstrip D the knives will ordinarily be sutficiently sharpened by theaction of the emery-wheel upon one face thereof; but where it is desiredto sharpen both sides of the blades the same are inverted and theposition of the strip D, which is removable from thelblock D, reversed,so that the direction of incline of the recessesf will be contrary tothat of the first operation. Preferably, also, the direction ofrevolution of the emery-wheel O and reciprocation of the block D arereversed. Before and during the operation of sharpening, the strip D andthe knives are moistened by means of the jet or drip-pipe 1', the waterescaping through the openingsf in the strip, which at the same timeadmit air to the knives from beneath, and ifthe air-pipesj are employedthe same are caused to'force air through the air-space A against thesaid knives and the strip. The tube I being flexible, the jet 1' islifted out of the path of the emery-wheel and rested on the cock H whennot in use.

The advantages resultant from the use of my invention will be manifestto all who are conversant with the generally crude, slow, and laboriousmethods and means now employed for'sharpening knife-blanks. I do notconfine myself to the exact formation of parts or construction ofdetails herein set forth and illustrated.

Having thus fully described my invention,

what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A knife sharpener comprising the combination of a supporting table, aframe longitudinally slidably secured upon the same at the front andtransversely recessed to receive the knifeblades, pins removablyinserted in the said frame where the handles rest to separate andprevent lateral movement of said handles,a rod pivoted to one end of theframe, adapted to bear upon the knives and engage beneath a hook uponthe opposite end of the frame, whereby it serves as a clamp, teethformed upon the under surface of said frame, gears meshing therewith toreciprocate said frame, an emery wheel jonrnaled in hearings secured tothe rear of the table to slide at angles to the knife-holder, and anadjusting screw bearing against said bearings to shift the wheel,substantially as shown and described.

2. A knife sharpener comprising the combination of a supporting table, aframe secured upon the same at the front, and longitudinally slidable,said frame and the table being open to form an air space, a strip uponthe rear portion of the front frame, having a series of lateral recessestherein, and having openings or apertures in the base thereof, aclamping bar pivotally secured to the frame to hold the knives inposition,pins removably inserted in the frame between the handles toprevent lateral movement thereof, means for moistening the knives, teethformed upon the under surface of the gears meshing therewith toreciprocate the knife-holder, a plate sliding transversely upon the rearof the table, an emery wheel journaled thereon to revolve verticallyacross the knife blades, and a hand screw mounted in a flange upon theframe and inserted in one of the hearings to adjust the wheel,substantially as shown and described.

3. A knife sharpener comprising a frame suitably supported, and havingan auxiliary frame at the front thereof, a block sliding longitudinallyin the said frame,a strip thereon having lateral recesses thereintapered toward one side to hold the knives at an angle, the said blockand strip being open to form an air space, a clamp to secure the knives,means for securing the same against lateral movement, a moistening tanksecured above the strip and having a depending flexibly secured drippipe or jet to moisten the knives, and an emery wheel journaled incontact with the knives substantially as shown and described.

4. A knife sharpener comprising a frame suitably supported, an auxiliaryframe in front thereof, having alongitudinal block sliding therein, astrip mounted thereon, and having a series of lateral recesses thereintapered toward one side to hold the knife edges uppermost, a bar pivotedto one end of the block and secured beneath a hook at the 0pposite end,and adapted to fit between the IIO guards and handles of the knives,pins insorted in the block between the handles to prevent lateralmovement thereof teeth formed upon the under side of the block, andgears meshing therewith whereby the same is reciprocated, means formoistening the knives and the strip, a plate sliding transversely acrossthe rear of the frame, bearings mounted thereon, an emery wheeljournaled in the said bearings in contact with the knives, and a screwat the rear of the frame to adjust the emery wheel, substantially asshown and described. v

. 5. A knife sharpener comprising a frame suitably supported, anauxiliary frame at the front thereof, a block slidinglongitudinallythereon, both the said frame and block being open to form an air space,a strip upon the rear portion of the block having a series of lateralrecesses therein which are tapered toward one side to hold the edges ofthe knives uppermost, a bar pivoted to one end of the block and restingbeneath a hook at the opposite end, the said bar being adapted to restbetween the guards and handles of the serted in one of the bearings,whereby the wheel may be forced forwardly and rearwardly over theknives, substantially as shown and described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I have signed myname, in pres-' tember, 1894.

JACOB OEFINGER; Witnesses:

CHAS. P. MORSE, J ULIUs ZILL-MER.

once of two witnesses, this 29th day of Sep- 5

